Globally, businesses invest more than $130 billion each year in professional development. Within a year of learning, the majority of acquired talents are gone.
What is the most effective approach to learning, then?
Effective and quick learning is more crucial than ever because abilities are no longer usable for as long as they once were. We frequently hear that keeping a staff current and up-skilled requires constant learning.
The latest episode of the Digital Adoption Show features Dr Britt Andreatta, sharing insights with Gokul Suresh, Head of Marketing at Whatfix, on How Organizations Can Use Brain Science to Lead Successful Change Management Initiatives.
Key Takeaways
- Humans have three basic needs: to survive, to belong, and to develop.
- Although resistance to change may surprise leaders, they could also come to appreciate it. We examine all of the brain research pertaining to how the brain learns using the three-phase learning paradigm. “Learn, Remember, Do” is effective for businesses in time-sensitive situations.
- Effective learning is similar to how the brain naturally acquires knowledge. Learning will stick if you can relate it to something the learner already knows. After 40 to 50 repetitions of an activity, a habit is created in the brain. According to brain science, learning should be divided into 15- to 20-minute segments.
8:32 – What’s the entire idea of amygdala hijacking for success?
- Our brain can sometimes kick off the freeze response when we are not in a life-threatening situation. When it does, it shuts off our logical brain and also our self-awareness which is what makes smart people do things they later regret
15:34 – Three-phase model of learning Vs Learning By Doing
- The three-phase model of learning is how the brain learns. Learning happens first, we have to take that information in
- The second phase is to remember, so if that learning doesn’t get pushed into long-term memory so we can access it for weeks or years to come, that learning is a waste of time
- Finally, most professional learning has to do with behaviour change. When you’re changing behaviour/ habits, it’s thinking about what are the words and actions you want to see people doing and making sure your learning event is truly getting them on a path to do that in the way that you want
- In professional learning, a big part of how we learn is by doing it and we can’t get around by sitting in a room and listening to information. Unless you get up and start doing it, you have not yet formed a neural pathway in your own body. That’s how we get people to true behaviour change
17:47 – What are the best practices for designing and delivering the learning modules to the employees?
- Good learning aligns with the way how the brain naturally learns. Users’ attention span waves after 20 minutes. Try to build chunks of content in 15-minute segments followed by a processing activity that not only drives behaviour change but also then pushes that learning into memory
- Learning is long-lasting if you can attach it to something the learner already knows. Scientists call these schemas and then spend time in practice. So think about how can you attach this new thing that you want them to know, to something that they’re already doing or already aware of
- It takes 40-50 reps of behaviour to form a habit and yet, most learning events don’t include any practice. Give people the opportunity to wire that new behaviour. It’ll make the whole transition go faster and better if you’re helping them get there
29:25 – How to tackle the technology adoption challenges?
- You need to consider how various things need to play together and be sure to explore compatibility because sometimes one solution while it looks great, and seems to have all the bells and whistles, it doesn’t play with another core part of your business or another system that it needs to
- Do thorough reference checks to make sure that the organization you are hiring has successfully done what they are bidding for you
Don’t miss our discussion with Dr. Britt if you have an interest in neuroscience, which is the art of learning. Check out the episode now!
Dr Britt Andreatta is an internationally-recognized thought leader who creates brain science-based solutions for today’s challenges. Former Chief Learning Officer for Lynda.com and Senior Learning Consultant for Global Leadership and Talent Development at LinkedIn, Britt is a seasoned professional with more than 25 years of experience. As CEO of 7th Mind, Inc., Britt Andreatta draws on her unique background in leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and learning to unlock the best in people and organizations. She regularly consults with businesses, universities, and nonprofit organizations on leadership development and learning strategy.
